Good Old Fashioned American Swagger: Clip From ‘Emperor’ With Tommy Lee Jones & Matthew Fox

Good Old Fashioned American Swagger: Clip From 'Emperor' With Tommy Lee Jones & Matthew Fox

After being the butt of the joke for far too long (not helped by continual references to that “Knocked Up” gag), is Matthew Fox trying extremely hard to be taken seriously? The actor lost a shitload of weight to play a cage-fighting sociopathic hitman in the upcoming movie “Alex Cross.” And by the sounds of a recent Entertainment Weekly article, the actor was attempting to go method. “[My character] is an assassin, but he really enjoys his job,” Fox told the magazine, noting that he shed 35 pounds and spent many hours in the gym getting “hyper, hyper, disturbingly lean.” There was a mental anguish aspect to the role as well. “The emotional intensity of the guy was exhausting,” he said. “I didn’t sleep much for five months.”

Well, next up for Fox is the leading role in “Emperor,” starring Tommy Lee Jones and premiering at TIFF tonight, and the actor will be trying to prove he’s not just a TV thesp. A brand new clip has dropped for the film in which he plays a American general in post-World War II Japan who is assessing whether the Japanese Emperor should be tried for war crimes. Here’s the official synopsis:

A gripping tale of love and honor forged between fierce enemies of war, EMPEROR unfolds the story, inspired by true events, of the bold and secret moves that won the peace in the shadows of post-war Japan. Matthew Fox joins Academy Award® winner Tommy Lee Jones and newcomer Eriko Hatsune to bring to life the American occupation of Japan in the perilous and unpredictable days just after Emperor Hirohito’s World War II surrender. As General Douglas MacArthur (Jones) suddenly finds himself the de facto ruler of a foreign nation, he assigns an expert in Japanese culture – General Bonner Fellers (Fox), to covertly investigate the looming question hanging over the country: should the Japanese Emperor, worshiped by his people but accused of war crimes, be punished or saved? Caught between the high-wire political intrigue of his urgent mission and his own impassioned search for the mysterious school teacher (Hatsune) who first drew him to Japan, Fellers can be certain only that the tricky subterfuge about to play out will forever change the history of two nations and his heart.

lt looks handsomely put together though the voiceover isn’t particularly hot. But we’re seeing the film tonight and you’ll have our verdict on the weekend. Watch below.